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Review group on elimination of filariasis meets

The South Asia Regional Programme Review Group will meet in Colombo October 4 and 5 to review and monitor the Global Programme for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF).

South Asia which includes Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka has over 500 million people at risk of infection and bears over 40% of the world's burden of this disfiguring disease.

The main strategy of GAELF is annual single dose treatment of all people exposed to filariasis. It is expected that if this is continued for five to six years, filariasis will be eliminated as a public health problem.

Sri Lanka has targeted its entire population at risk of 10 million for annual treatment during the past four years.

India has treated a staggering 174 million earlier this year and has planned to treat another 230 million before the end of the year. Bangladesh and Nepal have also made steady progress. In addition the GAELF program is also involved in the management, control and prevention of clinical disease and disability due to filariasis.

The members of the Group are Prof. Mahroof Ismail (Sri Lanka and Chair), Dr. Gautam Biswas (WHO Geneva), Dr. P.K. Das (India), Dr. Derek Lobo (WHO New Delhi), Prof. C.P. Ramachandran (Malaysia), Prof. R.K. Shenoy (India), Andy Wright (GSK London) and Prof. S. Kojima (Thailand).

Director, Anti Filariasis Campaign, Dr. Tilaka Liyanage will make a presentation on the Sri Lanka program during the inauguration.

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